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Mesitornis
Brown mesite (Mesitornis unicolor)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Mesitornithiformes
Family:	Mesitornithidae
Genus:	Mesitornis Bonaparte, 1855
Type species
Mesites variegata Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1838

Mesitornis is a genus of birds in the family Mesitornithidae. Its two members. the white-breasted mesite and the brown mesite are endemic to Madagascar and both species are classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list of Threatened species. A third species is also called a mesite, (the subdesert mesite) is the single member of the genus Monias.

Species

Mesitornis

There are two species, the brown mesite (Mesitornis unicolor) and the white-breasted mesite (Mesitornis variegatus). They are medium-sized birds to 30 and 31 cm (11.8 and 12.2 in) respectively and are considered to look like the rails; a family (Rallidae) in which the mesites are sometimes placed. Both species are ground-nesting and move slowly amongst the undergrowth searching in the leaf litter for invertebrates.

The brown mesite is secretive and rarely seen, they live in undisturbed primary, evergreen, humid forest along the eastern coast of Madagascar, from Marojejy National Park in the north to Tôlanaro to the south. Their dark plumage provides camouflage amongst the leaf-litter, in the shady undergrowth.

The white-breasted mesite lives in small groups of two to four, usually an adult breeding pair and recent young. It is found in dry deciduous forest, within five sites in the north and west of Madagascar and one site in the east.

A third bird, also known as a mesite, is the subdesert mesite which grows to 32 cm (12.6 in) tall and is also ′rail-like′. The bird lives in small groups, and can be found in sub-desert spiny forests in a 200 km (120 mi) long and 30–60 km (19–37 mi) wide coastal strip, between the Fiherenana and Mangoky rivers.

References

1. "Mesitornthidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
2. "Brown Mesite Mesitornis unicolor". Birdlife International. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
3. "White-breasted Mesite Mesitornis variegatus". BirdLife International. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
4. "Brown mesite (Mesitornis unicolor)". ARKive. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
5. "White-breasted mesite (Mesitornis variegatus)". ARKive. Archived from the original on 2016-10-19. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
6. BirdLife International (2016). "Monias benschi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22692971A93376450. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22692971A93376450.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.

v t e Genera of pigeons, sandgrouse, mesites and their extinct allies
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Clade: Neoaves Clade: Columbimorphae
Pteroclimesites Mesitornithiformes Mesitornithidae Mesitornis Monias Pterocliformes Pteroclidae †Archaeoganga †Gerandia †Leptoganga †Linxiavis Pterocles Syrrhaptes
Columbiformes Colombidae incertae sedis †Arenicolumba †Bountyphaps †Dysmoropelia †Lithophaps †Microena †Primophaps †Rupephaps Columbinae Zenaidini Geotrygon Leptotila Leptotrygon Starnoenas Zenaida Zentrygon Columbini Columba †Ectopistes Macropygia Nesoenas Patagioenas Reinwardtoena Spilopelia Streptopelia Turacoena Claravinae Claravis Columbina Metriopelia Paraclaravis Uropelia Raphinae Phabini Gallicolumba Geopelia Geophaps Henicophaps Leucosarcia Ocyphaps Pampusana Petrophassa Phaps Raphini Caloenas †Deliaphaps Didunculus Goura †Microgoura †Natunaornis Otidiphaps †Pezophaps †Raphus Trugon Turturini Alectroenas Chalcophaps Oena Phapitreron Turtur Treronini Treron Ptilinopini Cryptophaps Drepanoptila Ducula Gymnophaps Hemiphaga Lopholaimus Ptilinopus †Tongoenas

• Mesitornis
• Bird genera
• Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte